Two secondary school students, Hamza Sadiq and Adamu Ahmadu, both 15 years old, have been arrested by the Bauchi State Police Command for robbery.
The suspects were apprehended by operatives from the Operation Restore Peace (ORP) unit following a thorough investigation into a robbery incident at a mobile phone shop in Wunti Market, Bauchi.
According to a statement released by the command’s spokesperson, SP Ahmed Muhammed Wakil, on October 18, 2024, the duo obtained the shop key, stole 100 mobile phones, 75 MP4 players, 30 cell phone batteries, and other valuables.
The shop owner reported the theft of the items on October 1, 2024, prompting the Commissioner of Police to order an investigation by the ORP team led by CSP Kim Albert. The investigation led to the arrest of Sadiq and Ahmadu, both students of Bakari Dukku Comprehensive Secondary School.
The statement read: “On October 1, 2024, a mobile shop owner reported the theft of the following items: 100 mobile phones, 75 MP4 players, 30 cell phone batteries, 50 external memory cards, and 1 Bluetooth headset.
“Upon receiving the report, the Commissioner of Police directed the ORP team, led by CSP Kim Albert, to investigate. The probe led to the arrest of Hamza Sadiq, male, 15 years old and Adamu Ahmadu, male, 15 years old. Both suspects are students of Bakari Dukku Comprehensive Secondary School.
“During interrogation, the suspects confessed to having managed to obtain the shop key from where it was stored for safekeeping, timed the shop owner’s departure for the village market, and repeatedly opened the shop door to steal from it during the day.
“The suspects sold the stolen items randomly at lower prices, ranging from N8,000 to N5,000. The proceeds of the crime were used to purchase clothes, food, and a smartphone, which was later stolen from one of the suspects as well. 21 mobile phones, 5 MP4 players, 1 mobile phone charger and 1 metal key were recovered from the suspects.
“The suspects will be taken to a remand home for rehabilitation after the completion of the investigation and recovery of the remaining stolen items.
“The Bauchi State Police Command remains committed to maintaining law and order. We appreciate the public’s cooperation and urge them to continue reporting suspicious activities to the nearest police station.”
